[vman71]

I'm considering the following caps and wanted to know from ya'll what your thoughts are:
1. Jensen (copper and aluminum)
2. Hovland
3. Mundorf Supreme (Silver & Oil and Silver & Gold)
4. V-Cap

Thanks!
Mike

[ohenry]

How do you plan to use them, are you trying to "sculpt" the sound of an existing component?  The answer may help determine which cap may work best in your application.

Of the caps you have listed, I only have experience with the Mundorf silver & oil in a tube amp and a SS preamp.  They convey a nice, tonally balanced and smooth presentation with soundstaging galore.  In the SS preamp, they transformed a fatiguing "hot" sound into beauty.

I have some Jensens on order and haven't tried them.

Also, I've used Auricaps in the past and they are very neutral and fast IMO.  Audience LLC claims that the Auricap's signature is that of a straight wire, and that's how I'd describe it.  All the oil caps I've used tend to sound a little laid back compared to the metalized polypropylene caps (no surprise there).

This guy has subjectively reported on the sound quality of quite a list of caps used in a speaker filter, the Mundorf and Hovland are in the list and the listening results may be of interest to you:
http://www.humblehomemadehifi.com/Cap.html

[bpape]

Scott F has played with quite a few caps in various electronics.  He's actually done reviews for Enjoy The Music on the VH's.

Bryan

[jeffreybehr]

I'm considering the following caps and wanted to know from ya'll what your thoughts are:
1. Jensen (copper and aluminum)
2. Hovland
3. Mundorf Supreme (Silver & Oil and Silver & Gold)
4. V-Cap

Thanks!
Mike

Mike:
1.  If I were going to use a Jensen, it'd be the paper-in-oil copper-foil.  It gets rave reviews by those who have tried them, as being relatively tonally neutral but retaining all the harmonic richness of the music that plastic caps don't retain.  A friend who loves them says that once you hear them, you'll think plastic caps are broken.  Others say they're too colored in the direction of warmth.
2. No experience.
3.  The M. Sup. S/Os are very nice-sounding caps, a little warmly balanced and with good detail.  The Gold allegedly does not sound as good.
4.  V-Cap.  The TFTFs MAY be the most-detailed and tonally neutral caps around, and they OUGHT to be for their prices, which I think verge on the obscene.  If you want ALL the detail in the music (and ALL the distortion, etc., in the recording chain), a less-expensive alternative is the SoniCap Platinum, a Tefon-alloy-film-and-foil.

One you didn't mention that I really like is the Cardas Golden Ratio.  It too is quite tonally neutral, detailed yet smooth.  I consider it to be a less-expensive alternate to the SoniCap Platinum.

Many of these caps can be purchased at Sonic Craft, http://www.soniccraft.com/ .  I heartily recommend you chat with Jeff Glowacki, Mr. Sonic Craft, before you spend your money; he'll steer you right.  940/689-9400.

I'll be trying the Jensen PIO/CFs in my new ASL SET amps soon.

Also, you might SEARCH the tweakers' Asylum, http://www.audioasylum.com/scripts/tv.pl?forum=tweaks .

[SET Man]

Hey!

     vman71, I haven't play around much with caps. BTW, are they for speaker or electornic?

    Anyway, I have tubed pre-amp and a pair of SET amp. I've only tried 2 caps in my Audio Note M1 Phono pre.

   1. MIT RTX series. Very detailed, sound fast.

   2. Jensen paper-in-oil copper foil. Smooth, nice detail, great subtle detail like the sound of the intrument body.

    The MIT RTX is very detailed and fast. This really got my attention at first but after a while it became too much. And I feel that it is lack a good harmonic tonality.

     Since I use tube I got interested in older type  of cap. So, I got a pair of Jensen. And after couple of hours of break-in the sound all came together. The detail and extention is almost as good as MIT I would say. But these caps got of what I would call the harmonically correct. Not as fast as the MIT but than again maybe the MIT is a bit tippy on top and this might make it seem faster.

   I very happy with the Jensen in my system. When I ordered my SET amp kit I even ordered them with Jensen caps. They are not very expensive. But if you want an ultimate PIO cap. Check out Audio Note PIO silver caps!

    Anyway, please keep us posted on your finding.

Take care,
Buddy

[MarkR7]

For those of you with experience with the Mundorf Silver/Oil caps...

I am curious about the burn-in process of these.  From what I've read, I gather that I need to burn them in anywhere from 150 to 250 hours for them to sound best.

I installed 4 of these in the coupling stages of my cdp, replacing Auricaps.  My initial impression of them after about 20 hours is: soundstage depth and "airiness" is considerably reduced, highs are rolled off quite a bit, midrange is more forward, and bass / fullness is increased. Does this sound about right in your experiences?

I am hoping these will be a substantial upgrade over the Auricaps, but now I'm wondering...I know, patience.....

[Wayner]

Capacitors folllow the laws of ohms law. forget the B.S.

W

[Moderators comment] Wayner - Your subjective opinion is not relevant to the thread topic. Nor does anyone actually trying to participate in this topic give a rat's ass for your opinion. Obviously those respondents in this thread don't agree. Given that, and the fact that your comment is not germane to safety (other than ones bank account), butt out! Your contentless junior curmudgeon routine is not acceptable in the Lab Forum. If you wish to participate in the Lab forum, refrain from your religious crusades. - Occam

[gitarretyp]

Capacitors folllow the laws of ohms law. forget the B.S.

W

Funny, last i checked ohm's law (at least the version you use in EE rather than physics) says nothing about capacitance.

[PaulHilgeman]

Is this for a speaker, or electronics?

[vman71]

My apologies for just now answering.

I planned on using them in some xover networks that I was upgrading for a customer.  I ended up using Jensen caps for the two caps (one aluminum-in-oil and one copper-in-oil).  I swapped the stock resistor with a Mills.

He should get them by early next week.  I will share his impressions with ya'll when he writes me back.  These xovers were for a pair of Monitor Audio speakers.

I did speak with one of the premier audio industry modders and his recommendation was to go with the Jensens (specifically the copper and then aluminum).

Thanks again for all your helpful comments and I will let ya'll know what he says about the Jensens.

Mike